Last week I attended Rihanna‘s sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden. Surprisingly, Rih Rih nailed it. Plus, I forgot how many hits this woman has had. It was great to go to a concert and hear songs that I actually knew the words to for the majority of the show. Unlike some of those difficult artists who refuse to play their hits and say things like, “I’m not a jukebox!” Click below for the review.
The violence continues in Philadelphia. During an early morning house party on July 15th in North Philadelphia there was a shooting at approximately 1:45am, three people were shot including the legendary Philadelphia DJ Randy Flash also known as Randy Miller. Yesterday, Randy Miller died. He was 42 years-old.
According to published reports, the shooters were allegedly teenage boys between the ages of 17 to 20 years-old. Supposedly, they are suspects in a shooting earlier that day. Approximately 30 people were inside the house party when a teenager opened fire, three people were injured.
I remember DJ Randy Flash from my days of the clubs in Philadelphia back in the mid to late nineties. I first met him when he worked at the old school record store Sound of Market in Center City, Philadelphia. He always had such a kind energy with his big smile and passionate love for deep, soulful house music. I would periodically see him in New York City and he always showed me love.
I just saw him about three weeks walking down the street in Manhattan. We were both in a rush and quickly said hello. I am completely blown away that he is gone and that the last time I saw him in New York City — would be the last time I would see him.
Not to rant in cliches, but it’s so true, you never know when a hello, handshake, hug and goodbye will be your last with someone. My sympathies go out to Randy Miller’s friends and family. Also, please keep the other two who were injured in your thoughts.
In the image above you will see there is a fundraiser for DJ Randy Flash. For all of my Philly househeads, I hope to see you out there. Below is a link to one of Randy’s favorite songs, Carl Bean‘s “I Was Born This Way.”
Rest in peace Randy, I know you are in the highest light.
Lastly, if you happen to be watching a lil’ television, click over to TV One for Life After, which features Ruben Studdard and includes commentary from various journalists including me. It airs again this Wednesday at 12:30pm, Thursday at 4:30pm, Friday at 10:30am and all throughout the weekend. Check out the clip below!
On July 4th weekend I had the pleasure of witnessing the greatest pop concert I have ever seen — Lady Gaga‘s Monster Ball. Gaga sweated, sang, performed and emoted like it was the last minute of her life; I reviewed the show over at BET.com.
I have seen Madonna, Prince, Janet, Mariah and several others in concert but Gaga was the greatest. Granted, I didn’t see Madge during Blonde Ambition or Mr. Nelson during Purple Rain, this is Gaga’s moment so her hunger is extreme like I am sure theirs was then. Now, Prince refuses to sing “Darling Nikki” and Madonna is mortified at being called a “Material Girl.” Baby, “masturbating with a magazine” and “living in a material world” is what made you gals famous! But, I digress…
The biggest gripe about Gaga is that she’s robbing Madonna’s style, edginess and sound. Being a huge Madonna fan, I was giving Gaga the side-eye when I saw her July 4th, but after seeing this fercious force of New York nature in concert — BAB-BAY, the comparisons end now! Once you get past the blond hair and being Italian women — Madonna and Lady Gaga have about just much in common as Mel Gibson and Ghandi!
While I love Esther, we all know, and she has admitted, that she is no great singer. She was once called “Minnie Mouse on helium.” Furthermore, as original as people think Madonna was, which she is, her critics at the time complained sherobbed the styles of Boy George,Debbie Harry and Marlene Dietrich — clearly these critics just had a case of the “can’t takes.”
Madonna was/is original, but she was never a Lady Gaga. Gaga has a voice that is more like Pat Benatar, a style that channels Andy Warhol‘s muses, performance art similar toDavid Bowie and instrumentation and soul like Elton John. Gaga stands on her own and has clearly been inspired by a little of everything. Thankfully, she has raised the bar in music.
Over the past decade it seems female artists have relied too much on their looks, weaves, popping their cooch and lip-synching. Now these chicks are going to have step up their game, it’s taken a long time but finally some art is injected back into pop.
Lawd why! We all know that The Golden Girls are heading to a golden heaven sooner or later, but doesn’t it feel like they will always be around? They are constantly on television, people always quote the lines and if it wasn’t for these broads there would’ve been no Living Single,Sex and the City and several other shows. The Golden Girls created a mold that has been imitiated ever since.
Now, Rue McClanahan has passed away at 76 years-old. Check out the YouTube clip below of my favorite Blanche moment.
The iconic Lena Horne passed away at 92 years-old in Manhattan on Sunday, May 9th.
By the way, does anyone ever wonder why when someone older passes they use the most recent image they have them? Damn — why not use a pic when they were young and luscious? I am using an image of Lena when she was the cat’s meow — mama sits down all these girls of today and yesterday with this look!
Today, we casually toss around words like “icon” and “legend,” barely understanding what it means to break barriers, set the standard and create a new standard. Anyone of any race, gender, orientation, era, or class can break barriers. But, being a black female entertainer during a tumultuous time in an American history and not ending in tragedy like many others (Josephine Baker, Dorothy Daindridge, Billie Holiday)… that is a legend.
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1917. Having grown up with the likes of Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington, it was destiny for her to become an entertainer. By 17 years-old she had a featured role in the Cotton Club Parade and would go on to join several other orchestras and bands.
Nonetheless, Horne was not receiving the respect she deserved in the entertainment industry, mainly because she was a black woman. Lena endured immense pressure from management and industry insiders (black and white) to “pass” for white or Hispanic. Horne aggressively refused and when she finally came to Hollywood she also refused to play a maid.
Over ten years after Horne debuting in the jazz clubs of Harlem, Lena got her big break in 1943′s Cabin in the Sky. Still, outside of those two films, Horne was never featured in a leading role.
Lena Horne was considered to play the lead role in 1951’s Showboat, but Ava Gardner was chosen because interracial relationships were banned in films. However, according to Wikipedia, “MGM executives required Gardner to practice her singing using recordings of Horne performing the songs, which offended both actresses.” Ain’t that something?
It was in 1947 when Hollywood truly began to turn on Lena Horne. She married a white man, composer/conductor Lennie Hayton, in France because they could not be legally married in California. Hollywood was mortified.
By the mid-1950s, Horne was an activist more than ever. She worked closely with the NAACP, the Urban League and was close friends with Paul Robeson, which resulted in her being banned in Hollywood and branded a Communist. Hollywood was intent on destroying another black woman who had too much resiliency, pizazz, and intelligence.
Horne survived. Venturing to Broadway, winning a Tony for her one-woman show Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, which holds the record for the longest-running solo performance in Broadway history. Her last major film appearance was in 1978′s The Wiz and by 1995 Horne was a four-time Grammy winner.
Sidenote: By all accounts, Lena Horne was supportive of the gay community. She was extremely close to Billy Strayhorn, openly gay and Duke Ellington‘s right-hand man. Lena has said Strayhorn had a huge influence on her career.
For over ten years there has been talk of who play Horne in a biopic.Janet Jackson was the main pick but supposedly after the Superbowl incident Lena Horne refused (I heard this was not Lena herself but her management), now I heard Oprah handpicked Alicia Keys… I like Alicia, but I don’t see it, maybe a lil’ remix for the soundtrack.
I hope in choosing who will play the great story of Lena Horne they will select an actual actress, not a singer. Some great choices would be: Jurnee Smollett, Thandi Newton, Nicole Ari Parker, Paula Patton, or maybe even Vanessa Williams—hell, at least let them audition!
Rest in peace Lena Horne!
Check out this clip of Lena showing Judy Garland how it should be done.
Somebody in Lil Kim‘s camp must’ve had a come to Jesus convo with the hip-hop surged “I used to be afraid of the d*ck” poet. Kim recently appeared in public looking less like a Disney villain and more like an African-American woman with facial features that are movable. I must say, Kim is looking normal and damn good!
The first image, which is from early 2009, reminds me of a fembot from the Bionic Woman — like you could just take off her face and there will be wires sizzling underneath. The recent photo is back to the look of a Flavor of Love cast member (Kim is the originator of that urban whore in heat look — get it right!).
Who knows what brought the change of heart, but Kim needs to keep this up. We all know it could change at any time, Kim could easily see this pic on the blogs, realizing she is looking ethnic again and call her plastic surgeon for a complete European vacation on her face.
Yeah, I know everyone is going to babble, “We already knew!” But, being that this is a top Twitter trend and the world is buzzing, it proves “coming out” still means something. Futhermore, I do believe there are some people who will be surprised by the news — I know folks who are mortified when someone says Luther Vandross was gay. In moments like this I wonder ifVandross or Rev. James Cleveland would’ve said they were gay had they lived longer to see how the world has evolved.
Now, the question is if Ricky’s outing will damage his Latin fanbase. Remember when Barbara Walters beat him like he was a piñata on the “Are you gay?” question? Walters has since said she regretted asking the question and some argue the question is what damaged Ricky’s career in America.
Well, I guess this puts a whole new meaning to the line,”In the Sahara sun I wanna be the one that’s gonna come and take you,make you shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon. Up in the Himalayas… ” Ricky betta get up in them Himalayas…
I love that Ricky didn’t do a cover story on US Weekly or some tabloid mag like Clay Aiken and Lance Bass. He knows that people already know so a well-written and poignant statement on his web site was good.
Well, I’m going to go listen to “U.N.I.T.Y.,” watch Panic Room and maybe catch some 360 on CNN. For no particular reason…
Last year I interviewed the legendary Lil’ Kim (yes, I said legend!) for BET.com when she was promoting her stint on Dancing With The Stars. Well, the silicone-implanted diva hung up on me when I carefully asked about plastic surgery. I even gave her the option to not answer, but got the dial tone. Click here for the full story.
I was bombarded with manic fans of the Brooklyn chick who once said, “I used to be afraid of the dick… ” (I really consider “Big Mama Thing” to be the “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” of hip-hop songs!) because they felt I disrespected her queen. I was just asking questions that were submitted several times to me. The comments on this site, the BET article and others were hilarious, especially one, which I refused to publish saying, “You could use some skin lightening cream yourself!”
A year later, Kim’s biggest fans are giving her the boot because they are concerned about her look in recent photos. They went to Twitter and Kim’s current management alleged made racist and homophobic comments to them. Therefore, Kim’s #1 fan site is shutting down. Click here for the full scoop.
Like RuPaul says, “If you don’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else!” Can I get an amen?
Check out my interview with soon-to-be Oscar winner Mo’Nique. In this hilarious interview — which is even funnier to hear — Mo’ goes off on church homophobes, talks a lesbian crush, the song that is playing when she gets to heaven and much more. It’s a pure cackle!
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